The present invention relates to blood pressure cuffs used for taking blood pressure measurements, more particularly, to cuffs used with the limbs of human patients.
Blood pressure cuffs are well known in the prior art and comprise an elongated flexible band having a predetermined length and width, a body side face and a outward face. The band is adapted to be wrapped around a limb, such as an arm or leg, to measure blood pressure. Attachment means such as VELCRO.TM. is provided with the band to hold the band on the limb.
The front and back faces of the band are joined together around their peripheries to form a compartment into which an inflatable bladder is inserted. A hose portion coupled to the bladder and usually integrally formed therewith extend out from the compartment through an opening in the periphery.
When wrapping the band around the arm, it is desirable for accuracy of measurement that the center of the bladder be located over the brachial artery on the inner side of the upper arm. It has been found most convenient in ambulatory measurement applications when wrapping the band around the arm that the hose portion extend through a top periphery or edge of the cuff such that a hose coupled between the cuff and monitoring device is then routed up the front of the arm across the back of the neck to the other side of the body to the monitoring device which is usually strapped to the patient's waist. In order to accomplish this the slot in the periphery of the cuff is offset from the center of the bladder and located solely on one side thereof so that the hose portion of the bladder extends along the front of the arm. Prior art cuffs of which the inventor is aware have only a single opening offset as described above. If the cuff is designed for use on the left arm, the hose portion and coupling hose will be inconveniently located under the patient's armpit when the cuff is used on the right arm and vice versa. It is desirable therefore to provide a single cuff design which is suitable for use on either arm.